Characterization of blends of LDPE and PA6 with functionalized polyethylenes

Recycling Polyethylene/Polyamide Multilayer Films with Poly(isoprene-g-Maleic Anhydride) Compatibilizer

Polymers generally form incompatible mixtures that make the process of recycling difficult, especially the mechanical recycling of mixed plastic waste. One of the most commonly used films in the packaging industry is multilayer films, mainly composed of polyethylene (PE) and polyamide (PA). Recycling these materials with such different molecular structures requires the use of compatibilizers to minimize phase separation and obtain more useful recycled materials. In this work, commercial polyisoprene-graft-maleic anhydride (PI-g-MA) was tested as a compatibilizer for a blend of PE and PA derived from the mechanical recycling of PE/PA multilayer films. Different amounts of PI-g-MA were tested, and the films made with 1.5% PI-g-MA showed the best results in terms of mechanical properties and dart impact. The films were also characterized thermally via thermogravimetric analysis (TG) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and morphologically using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Other parameters, such as tearing and perforation, were analyzed.

Effect of Acetate Group Content in Ethylene-Vinyl Acetate Copolymer on Properties of Composite Based on Low Density Polyethylene and Polyamide-6

The effect of the content of vinyl acetate groups in ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer on the properties of polymer composite based on low density polyethylene and polyamide-6 was studied. Ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer containing less vinyl acetate groups (10–14 wt.%) has a positive compatibility effect on polymer composite than ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer containing 21–30 wt.% vinyl acetate groups. The polymer composites of LDPE, PA-6, and EVA containing 10–14 wt.% vinyl acetate groups possess the ability of biodegradation. The physical-mechanical properties of sample and molecular mass reduce after 28 days of incubation.

Rheology of asphalts modified with glycidylmethacrylate functionalized polymers

Asphalt is known to be a colloidal suspension in which asphaltenes are covered by a stabilizing phase of polar resins and form complex micelles that are dispersed in the oily maltenic phase. In order to enhance its mechanical properties (e.g., in road paving), asphalts are often loaded with polymeric materials, thereby obtaining blends that can have different physical or chemical structures, depending on the composition of the added polymer. Asphalts modified by the addition of reactive ethylene terpolymers were prepared and their dielectric and rheological properties were measured both before and after a cure at high temperature. Even if it is not possible to determine the exact nature of the chemical interactions between asphalt and polymer, master curves obtained from dynamic data clearly show that during the cure the material tends to the behavior of a cross-linked network.